uni'wissen 01(3)-2011_ENG

Katharina Becker studied psychology at the University of Freiburg from 2000 to 2006 and complet- ed her diplom degree with a thesis on the psychother- apeutic skills of psychology students. After graduation she accepted a position as research assistant as the Institute of Psychology, where she is currently working on her dissertation on early interventions after traumatic events under Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Bengel. In addition to her research activities, she serves as a volunteer for the emer- gency follow-up treatment service of the German Red Cross in Freiburg. Becker is studying the answers to the ques- tionnaires for conspicuous features and conduct- ing structured interviews with all of the partici- pants. She meets with everyone who sends back the questionnaire to the Institute of Psychology around three months after the accident and con- tacts respondents who don’t live in the region by telephone. “These meetings can help us find out whether the questionnaire is a reliable way to de- tect potential cases of posttraumatic stress dis- order or other psychological disorders.” She can also bring practical experience to bear in these meetings: As a volunteer for the emergency fol- low-up treatment service of the German Red Cross, she has the necessary sensitivity to deal with traumatized patients. Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Bengel studied psychology and medicine in Hamburg, Mannheim, and Freiburg. In 1986 and 1987 he earned his doctorate in these two fields and assumed a posi- tion as research assistant at the Institute of Psychol- ogy. After completing his habilitation, he spent a time conducting research with a Heisenberg Scholarship. Afterwards he worked at the University Medical Cen- ter in Hamburg-Eppendorf and at the Humboldt Uni- versity in Berlin. In October 1994 Bengel was appointed as professor at the Institute of Psychology of the Uni- versity of Freiburg, where he heads the Department of Rehabilitation Psychol- ogy and Psychotherapy. His research focuses on the psychology of chronic illness, psychotraumatology, adjustment and stress dis- orders, and evaluation and quality assurance. Photos: Lühmann Further Reading Bengel, J. (Eds.) (2004²): Psychologie in ­Notfallmedizin und Rettungsdienst. Berlin. Bengel, J./Becker, K. (2009): Psychologische Frühinterventionen. In: Maercker, A. (Eds.) (2009³): Posttraumatische Belastungs­­ störungen. Berlin, p. 163–185. Bengel, J./Hubert, S. (2010): Anpas- sungsstörung und Akute Belastungsreaktion. Göttingen. A severe accident can change lives not only those of the victims, but also those of the rescue teams. Photo: Soehngen/Fotolia 15